The List: 2 Oct 1987 (Issue 51)

Perhaps she seems an unlikely contender to be up Iront on the Theatre Royal stage along with a whole host at opera stars. but that's where actress Joanna Lumley is mostcertainlyto be tound on Friday 2 inA Concert For Luke. In aid ot5 year-old Luke Smith. who sullerslrom severe brain damage and desperately needs expensive treatment in Philadelhia, Lumley will. as she puts it, ‘bewhizzing in between acts to say what the next piece is goingto be'. emphatically-but laughineg-adding ‘I shall notbe singing orplaying'. In partnership with John Amis, she‘ll be introducing singers such asJames Bowman, Kathryn Harries. Ann Murray, Marie Slorach and other distinguished artists including conductors SirAlexanderGibson, Stephen Barlow (Joanna Lumley‘s husband). John

ago I had the happiesttime olmy lite playing Hedda Gablerin Dundee.

I the rest at us. As she says: “Because I can't help it, I'm i doing all sorts otsmall

a new experience to childhood through to Lumley. ‘We lilmed the very “modelling in the 60's and tirst episode olThe early acting in Dracula, the

Avengers in Eilean Donan at Skye 11 years ago, and since then I've done a ﬁlm with Eva Gardner in Peebles -which wasn't released— and endless photographic sessions. Then three years

Robert Dawson Scott unfairly comes a copper.

There can be lew more schizophrenia-inducing careers than that at a policeman. One minute you‘re a hero, busting a drugs ring, generally keeping the peace. Next minute you’re no better than the villains you’re

one side. ‘l've takenthe autumn period oil up until Christmas writing a book, which is jolly hard work. To call it an autobiography is too grand. It's memoirs really—a vaguish Iile story'. Brought up in the Far East, ittells other

Pink Panther. Coronation Street and The Avengers. It‘s quite amusing really. Ill get it in on time, it mightbe out next Christmas'. Buttime oil to Lumley, isn't quite like time ottto

supposed to be nicking, racist, sexist, crudely violent and stupid to boot. No doubt your average policeman is a pertectty decent bloke. What bothers me is that lewer and tewer policemen seem inclined to allow the same benetit ol the doubt to the average member of the public. Is the psychological balancing act beginning to tall apart? I otter you two recent examples.

i gala shouldn'tjust be in aid I alone child. adds ‘l‘ve got

j three other charitiesthis

week'. Brimlul olgenuine concern and compassion tor little Luke Smith, Lumley sums up Friday evening as being “just the same as an ordinary village orstreet coming together. lt’sjust that we happen to be a rather glamorous street and one isjust so happyto be doing something to help'.

late one recent night. Two bicycles are, you could argue, a bit unusual. Most people seem content with one. Certainly that‘s what the two police olticers who drew up alongside him argued. Did the bicycles belong to him? Well, yes, as a matter of tact they did. The photographer, let‘s call him Pete, explained that the reason he had two at once was because he had just purchased the second one that very evening Irom a man in Dalmeny. Plausible enough perhaps but with cycle thelts being so common these days the olticers pressed home their inquiries. Could he corroborate this story? As it happened, Pete still had with him not only the relevant page ot small-ads lrom the Evening News advertising the bike but also the return portion of the rail ticket to Dalmeny.

Fair enough, sir, mind how you go? Not

a bit ol it. By this time a second car had arrived and it was Right son, down the station with you. Pete was held tor hall an hour until the station olticers linally

the paranoia and not Chiet Constable Anderton, I would reteryou to my three passengers, a desperate crew consisting ot the theatre critic at The Guardian, a seniorjournalist with Radio Clyde and a novelist.

Clearly villains, even petty ones, are not going to stand up and say ‘Sir, sir, please sir, itwas me, sir!‘ It is

; Ilemming.Camera Iidinhurgh Make-up

Services. Cover Wet Wet Wet Cover Design Nigel

. Billen and Paul Keir.

large in my rear-view mirror. Let us not dwell on the wisdom or otherwise of driving so close to the vehicle in lront. Suttice it to say that after about a mile at this rather intimidating formation I was waved into the side. They didn't say why, so I asked. They had apparently tormed the opinion (lrom behind) that I did not have a valid car tax disc. Far lrom sending me on my

5 wayarterrealisingtheirmistake,the two olticers then detained me tor a

Iurtherten minutes. They proceeded to f carry out a minute examination at my

car and insisted on checking all the relevant documents with what could

; only be construed as suspicion. 3 especially when l was asked whether I the name on my driving licence was my